l a t e w i n t e r 2 0 1 1 - Delaware State University

A T H L E T I C S
New Football Coach Named
Hornet Head Football Coach Kermit W. Blount
and Athletics Director Derek Carter pose after
the new coach was named to take the helm
of the football program.
DSU President Harry Lee Williams announced
Kermit W. Blount as the new head football coach
of the Hornet football program during a Feb. 4
media event in the MLK Student Center.
Blount brings 27 years of intercollegiate football
coaching experience to Delaware State
University—including the last 16 years as the
head football coach for Winston-Salem State
University in North Carolina.
During his 1993–2010 tenure at Winston-Salem,
Blount had a career record of 91-87-3. He guided
the Rams to two Central Intercollegiate Athletic
Association (CIAA) Championships and a total
of three CIAA Championship game appearances.
He also led Winston-Salem to two Pioneer Bowl
appearances, one of which the team emerged
as the victor (1999).
Blount was honored as the CIAA Coach of the
Year and as the Washington D.C. Pigskin Coach
of the Year, as well as the 100% Wrong Club
Coach of the Year—each award in both 1999
and 2000.
In addition to his on-the-field successes, Blount
increased the Winston-Salem players’ graduation
rate from 42 percent in 1993 to 80 percent
by 2009.
Prior to his Winston-Salem tenure, he served
from 1983 to 1992 in assistant coach posts
with South Carolina State University, Howard
University and East Carolina University. During
all three coaching stints, he coached quarterbacks
and receivers; Blount also served as
the offensive coordinator for S.C. State.
Throughout his career, a number of players
from his teams have gone to play professionally
in the NFL, CFL and the Arena Football League,
including William Hayes, a starting third-year
defensive end for the Tennessee Titans.
Williams said that Blount’s record speaks
for itself.
“Coach Blount has proven he knows how to
guide student athletes to championship-level
seasons as well as accomplish high standards
of academic success,” Williams said. “The
Search Committee is to be commended for
its diligence in reviewing the candidates, in
engaging in earnest deliberations and arriving
at its recommendation.”
The selection of Blount was the culmination of
DSU’s nationwide search process that resulted
in the attraction of more than 50 candidates,
said Candy Young, the chair of the DSU Search
Committee and associate athletics director/
senior women’s administrator.
Athletics Director Derek Carter said that
the new coach will fit in well at DSU.
“Kermit Blount stood out among the many
outstanding candidates for the position because
of his broad experience, proven leadership and
vision for Delaware State University football,”
Carter said. “His record of leading young men
to success on the field and in the classroom
makes him an ideal fit for the University and
the football program.”
Blount said he has always admired DSU from
afar, and now he is excited to be a part of
the institution. He said while he is interested
in winning football games, he is especially
interested in his players’ academic successes.
“The No. 1 thing we have to have players to
understand is the vision and the mission of the
University,” Blount said. “I am very interested
in our players graduating.”
A native of Richmond, VA, Blount has a Bachelor
of Science in health and physical education
from Winston-Salem State University.
He will be joined in his move to Delaware
by his wife, Ava. Their union of 25 years has
produced two grown children, April and Bryan.
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